Forums > Contributor Zone > RotW: Jan. 21-27 -- The Polar Vortex or whatever it's called Edition

Back with the RotW stuff on a day where we're back to the -30 degrees wind chill stuff that I remember from either 2014 or 15 around this time. On one hand, it sucks. On the other, it's kind of cool because I'm not a big fan of cold weather in general, but a few days of this sort of cold and the usual 5-10-15 degrees stuff is a cakewalk where I'm wondering if I even need a coat because, damn, it's above zero! Of course, that year, we had this sort of cold for over a week, I think, and this year, it basically is only going to be that cold today and part of tomorrow and then it'll be about 40 by the end of the weekend. Damn, our weather is more psycho than my ex-wife! ( *rimshot* Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week!).

Seven reviews by six people, so we have a manageable amount this week. Good. I'm feeling lazy. So very lazy.

For comments on our three contributors who didn't quite reach the top three:

Brian had a lengthy review of Hitman: Codename 47. It was chock-full of information and stuff, but probably could have used some tightening and a bit of additional focus (something I should know about, considering how regularly some people named EmP comment on me getting side-tracked with long-winded stories about myself in the middle of my reviews), as I have to admit some struggles with maintaining my attention through it. I'll give two examples, one in general and one specifically. The "in general" one is that I think you had a few references that were distracting because of how they were just mentioned and then dropped. A person not familiar with AVGN will be puzzled by the James Rolfe/Ghosts and Goblins line (hell, I've watched that one and it caused me to pause a bit to remember his vibe other than the usual "FUCK THIS FUCKING SHIT…..GRRRAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" screams that are the one thing I think of when I see a reference to him) and the first paragraph of the "level design" section has references to a press release and a question answered by the name of a person who worked with Eidos during the development of two other games (guessing he also worked this one?). More specifically, the second "level design" paragraph essentially only says this game's gameplay is too clunky for stealth and too punishing for combat…after many lines discussing the concept of stealth in games and how it has been implemented in about a half-dozen other games or series. Pare things down and streamline it more and this is a really good review, but it felt a bit bloated to me.

I found myself in agreement with Hasty concerning CaptRetroBlue's Odin Sphere review, as it was a bit stronger than other ones by you that I've read. While I might have liked some more detail on some aspects of it, as someone who played this game for a bit, I did notice that you at least touched on a lot of the pertinent stuff to some degree. Hell, the most objectionable aspect of this review is that you seem to legitimately this game. BAD! EVIL! Sorry, I think I made it to the last chapter of the first hero's story, realized I'd have to revisit every region with everyone else and just couldn't bear to go any further. But you did a good job of counterpointing some of my unwritten objections to this game with your complements. Like I said, a bit more detail (for example, you praise the graphics, but don't really go into what makes them so good) and this would have had legit placement potential.

Jason broke out of his shell a bit. I'd say he's probably the most professional-toned reviewer here, possibly because he has to deal with PR people and the like, so he's more inclined for find professional, diplomatic ways to show displeasure with a game, instead of just saying it's crappy garbage and the people who worked on it need sent on a one-way trip to one of "THOSE" detention camps. But he let loose a bit with his Azure Snake review, essentially saying it's crap in his tagline (diplomatically, sure, but it's easy to tell) and using descriptions such as comparing the visuals to a snake rolling in a pile of vomit. I LIKE THIS! Really, the barrier between you and placement came down to one thing. When I am confronted with two reviews that both have merit for a particular placement, I tend to lean towards the one that feels more ambitious and, while Hasty had an interesting (read below) take on Star Fox, this was a short review for a disposable downloadable title that no one will (hopefully, from the way this sounds) remember about mere weeks later. But you deserve credit for doing the best you could with what this game provided and providing me with some good burns to read, too.

THIRD PLACE

Hastypixel's Star Fox (SNES)

Speaking of Hasty, he had an interesting review of Star Fox. The sort that had me sitting here thinking about possible approaches to reviewing a game that's what? 25 years old? More? The main reason I was thinking about approaches is because this is a pretty original one, as you give a bit of information about the actual game and how it works, but spend the bulk of the time talking about the technology of the system in comparison to other systems working polygons with similar sorts of rail shooters, complete with discussing exactly why Nintendo immediately revamped it for the N64. This led to a situation where I loved parts of your review; in particular the next-to-last paragraph, where that last sentence was pure fire! But also found it a bit uneven because I'm not the most tech-savvy person there and some of the stuff (such as the Atari ST reference) went over my head. Also, considering this is a SNES game that you're reviewing, I didn't really get the bit at the end where you mention that the Switch has many titles that do things better than this. Were you replaying this game as a Switch download, so that system was what was in your mind, because it seems weird to compare a 90s title to the stuff getting released now, unless it's specifically a modern game designed to evoke memories of the 80s or 90s games. Still, I liked this review and it made me think about approaches, so that's good!

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SECOND PLACE

EmP's The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED] (PC)

You do like your various adventure titles, a genre I never could get into. Of this sort of game, I'm guessing that the first (or was it second) Oddworld game was the only one I played and I lost interest in it about an hour after I started, making my weekend rental for that particular weekend pretty depressing. Lord, I probably was relegated to either trying to understand Revelations: Persona or doing the two Spyro the Dragon levels on a particular demo disc for the 88th time because of that game… But, fortunately for you, you are good at this writing thing and that made your review of this title more interesting than what I was expecting. I enjoyed the "is it an old game…or is this trickery?!?" stance you opened with, which paid off as you described how superior the animation was than in those older games. From there, you do a good job of briefly touching on the levels, how death is your constant companion and so forth, creating a very good, tightly-written review that kept my attention even though I'm not remotely interested in the game.

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REVIEW OF THE WEEK (aka: Overdrive Place)

Joe's Saint (Wii)

First off, I approve of your tagline for this review. Secondly, it's a shame this game isn't good, as from the screen shots, if it was good, I'd be buying it for that sort of cheap price. Hell, from the first screener, it looks like you're playing a comic book shooter against a second-tier X-Man character (possibly Havoc). And your guy riding on a cloud brings back memories of Chuka Taison/Cloud Master which is a game that I played. But, alas, most of this review does such a great job of dispelling any notion I'd have of purchasing it, so it looks like I'll be spending that $2 on a beer! Those pics don't look as good when you consider the repetitive environments that you listed. More importantly, I liked your discussion of the flawed nature of the game. On one hand, there are plenty of examples of cheap difficulty. On the other, you get lots of health and extra lives and save points, which dilutes any difficulty, leaving you in the position of wondering why they couldn't simply make a good, balanced game instead of one that's too hard, so the designers neutered it in response.
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Be back to this grind in 4 weeks or so, I'd guess. Until then, uh, do whatever it is you do!

I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

Thanks for the topic and comments on my review, Rob, and stay warm. Congratulations to those who placed!

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

Woohoo! Thank you for the win! I'm glad I got something good out of suffering through that game.

Congrats as well to hasty and EmP for placing.

The only thing my milkshake brings to the yard is a subpoena.

I have risen from my sick bed to offer tanks and also belittle OD for not thinking Another World is great.

I now return to my lair. There is a chance I will survive.

For us. For them. For you.

Thanks, overdrive! I completely agree with your assessment... I had in my head the idea of giving the reader some idea of where to go, but didn't list any examples. That's not good - probably would have done to spend a minute or so on the eShop to pull down a reference or two.

I mean ... wouldn't Star Link have been a prime candidate? Next time I'll do my due diligence. I was also trying to try connect it with the introduction, which presented why the game was relevant ... but it could well have been enough to let Starfox stand on its own for the qualities that birthed the franchise.

As for CaptRetroBlue - I'm actively encouraging other writers where I see some potential. I had many of the same quandaries with Brian's review of Hitman 47 ... it was well written but too verbose. I've certainly been guilty of deep diving into a game with which I am perhaps excessively familiar. It's always risky making references; I know Hitman at a glance, but the name dropping left me cold. I didn't hurt the review, but that's why references tend to be more general, or at the very least audience specific.

Anyway, I'd like to see more from Brian - he's clearly got some insight and a knack for writing.

Look, the only time I'm not wrong is when I'm right, so...